An application on a laptop stolen from Brussels’ Gare du Midi in mid-August led police to a flat where a gang of thieves had been storing the loot, the laptop's Canadian owner reported in a video posted on Tiktok.
The information was confirmed by the Office of the Public Prosecutor (OPP) in Brussels, which said a suspect was arrested, then released after questioning.
The 33-year-old Canadian had had his rucksack stolen at Brussels-Midi station at around 9.30 p.m. on 18 August. However, he was able to geolocate his laptop, which was in the rucksack, in a building in Molenbeek, the OPP explained.
According to the victim, the police then initially told him there was nothing they could do, as the location could not be used to determine the exact flat the stolen device was in.
The next morning, the Canadian was able to geolocate his computer, which was then in Jette. He decided to go there and wait for several hours until the thieves came out of a squat they were occupying. He then followed them to a second-hand electronics shop.
The Canadian finally alerted the police, who travelled to Jette and entered the squat where the stolen laptop was recovered, along with hundreds of smartphones, computers and iPads.
The laptop was returned to the victim and the remaining property was seized with a view to tracing the owners and returning it to them.
One person was arrested at the squat, but released after being questioned by the police. The investigation is continuing.
